Stockholm – Swedist: Sweden Open Work Permit rules have tightened significantly, with a new salary threshold and additional requirements now shaping applications for non-EU/EEA workers. What do the latest rules mean for foreign workers seeking jobs in Sweden?
Sweden Open Work Permit rules change
Sweden’s work-permit system is undergoing a major shift following new rules that took effect on June 1. The changes affect people applying for or extending work permits, as well as Swedish employers hiring workers from outside the EU/EEA.
The most significant change is a new salary requirement. Under the rules now in force, a worker applying for a Swedish work permit must generally earn at least 90 percent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of the application.
The salary must also remain in line with Swedish collective agreements or the normal pay level for the occupation or industry concerned. The new threshold replaces the previous requirement that applicants demonstrate that they could support themselves through their employment.
The Swedish Migration Agency has since updated the figure following new salary data from Statistics Sweden. As of June 16, the median salary stood at SEK 38,300 a month, putting the 90 percent threshold at SEK 34,470 per month for work-permit applicants under the new rules.
That figure is now one of the most important numbers for non-EU/EEA nationals planning to take up employment in Sweden.
Who needs a Sweden Open Work Permit?
For most citizens from countries outside the EU/EEA, a permit is required to work in Sweden. The requirement can apply whether the worker is employed directly by a Swedish company, works through a temporary employment agency that supplies labour to a Swedish business, or is transferred within a corporate group.
The Swedish system is therefore not a general open work permit in the sense of allowing a foreign national to arrive in Sweden and work for any employer without conditions. In practice, the standard work permit is connected to employment and the conditions attached to the job.
This distinction is important for international jobseekers. A person normally needs to have secured qualifying employment before applying for a work permit. The employer also has responsibilities in the process, including meeting the applicable employment and insurance requirements.
For workers considering Sweden as a destination, the latest changes mean that securing a job offer is only the first step. The salary, insurance coverage, occupation and employer must also meet the rules that apply to the particular application.
The official application and eligibility information is available from the Swedish Migration Agency.
The new rules also introduce greater scrutiny of employers. From June 1, the Swedish Migration Agency can reject work-permit applications because of deficiencies linked to the employer, including certain crimes or sanctions.
That gives the authorities a stronger role in assessing not only the worker and the job but also the circumstances surrounding the employer offering the position.
Salary threshold becomes central to Sweden Open Work Permit
The salary requirement is the clearest change for most applicants.
For a new work-permit application receiving a decision on or after June 1, the salary must generally reach at least 90 percent of Sweden’s median salary at the relevant time. The wage must also satisfy the separate requirement of being consistent with collective agreements or established practice in the occupation or sector.
The current figure reported by the Swedish Migration Agency is SEK 34,470 per month, based on a median salary of SEK 38,300.
This means that an applicant may face difficulties even when the offered job is genuine if the salary falls below the applicable threshold. Employers recruiting internationally therefore need to review proposed salaries carefully before beginning the permit process.
The rule also has implications for people whose applications were submitted before the new system took effect. According to the Migration Agency, the new salary requirement can apply to first-time applicants who submitted their applications earlier if the agency reaches a decision on or after June 1.
That makes the date of the decision particularly important for applicants caught between the old and new systems. (Migrationsverket)
The salary rules are not, however, identical for every category of permit. Sweden has separate systems for certain groups, including EU Blue Card holders, ICT permit applicants and seasonal workers.
Applicants should therefore avoid assuming that the standard work-permit threshold automatically applies to every type of employment-based residence permit.
Transitional rules for existing workers
The changes also include transitional arrangements for some people who already hold work permits.
The Swedish Migration Agency previously stated that workers who had an existing work permit under the earlier rules and applied for an extension between June 1 and December 1 could remain subject to the previous salary requirement rather than the new 90 percent threshold.
Under that transitional arrangement, the monthly salary requirement was linked to 80 percent of the median salary published by Statistics Sweden and applicable when the application was submitted. The Migration Agency listed that figure as SEK 29,680 at the time of its April guidance.
The agency also stressed that an extension application can be submitted no more than two months before the existing permit expires.
However, the rules depend on the applicant’s circumstances and the timing of the relevant permit decision. Workers already in Sweden should therefore check which transitional provisions apply to them rather than assuming that all existing permit holders are automatically protected from the new salary threshold.
For employers, this creates an additional administrative challenge. Companies managing international employees may need to distinguish between new hires, first-time applications and extension cases when assessing salary compliance.
The distinction is particularly important because a worker’s immigration status can depend on whether the application falls under the old rules, transitional arrangements or the new system.
Health insurance requirement adds another hurdle
The new framework also introduces a comprehensive health insurance requirement for certain work-permit applicants.
The Migration Agency said that applicants planning to stay in Sweden for a maximum of one year must show that they have, or have applied for, comprehensive health insurance.
This is in addition to the insurance protections that employers must already provide under the rules governing work permits. Those employer-provided policies must be comparable with collective agreements or what is customary in the relevant occupation or industry.
The change means that eligible applicants need to pay closer attention to insurance arrangements before submitting an application.
For international workers, an attractive job offer and an acceptable salary may not be enough on their own. The application must also satisfy the relevant insurance requirements.
The health-insurance provision is part of a broader move toward more detailed conditions for labour migration, with the Swedish authorities placing greater emphasis on the employment relationship and the circumstances surrounding the applicant’s stay.
Seasonal workers and ICT employees face specific rules
Not all employment-based permits follow exactly the same requirements.
The new rules introduced specific changes for seasonal workers and people applying under the ICT permit system. For seasonal employment, the salary must correspond at least to the minimum level established by Swedish collective agreements or normal practice in the relevant occupation or industry.
The requirement applies to full-time employment and also to part-time work.
Similar compensation rules apply to ICT permits, according to the Migration Agency’s guidance.
The permitted duration for some categories has also changed. The maximum validity period for an EU Blue Card has been extended from two years to four years at a time. For seasonal workers, the permitted period has increased from six to nine months during a 12-month period.
These provisions show why the phrase “Sweden work permit” covers several different immigration routes. The precise rules depend on the type of employment and the permit category involved.
For highly qualified professionals, the EU Blue Card route remains distinct from the standard work permit system. The Migration Agency stated that there was no change to the EU Blue Card salary threshold in its April guidance, listing the figure at that time as SEK 53,625.
Applicants considering that route should nevertheless verify the applicable threshold and eligibility requirements when preparing their applications.
Some occupations are now excluded
The changes go beyond salary and insurance.
The Swedish Migration Agency’s current work-permit information states that, from June 1, it is no longer possible to obtain a work permit for employment as a forest berry picker in subgroup 9210 of SSYK 2012, although other types of berry picking within the same subgroup may still qualify.
The agency also states that work permits cannot be obtained for employment as a personal assistant under subgroup 5343 of SSYK 2012.
These restrictions are particularly relevant for foreign workers considering lower-paid or labour-intensive occupations, where the new salary rules could already create significant barriers.
The government also has the ability to decide that work permits should not be granted for certain occupational groups. The Migration Agency’s earlier guidance indicated that the precise scope of any such future restrictions would depend on subsequent decisions.
For jobseekers, this means that checking whether the occupation itself qualifies is becoming just as important as checking the salary.
What the latest rules mean for foreign jobseekers
For people outside the EU/EEA looking for employment in Sweden, the practical message is straightforward: the work-permit process has become more demanding.
The first priority is to secure a legitimate job offer. The next step is to confirm that the offered salary reaches the applicable threshold and meets Swedish standards for the occupation or industry.
Applicants should also establish whether the employer can satisfy the insurance requirements and whether the business has any circumstances that could affect the permit application.
The occupation itself must also be checked. The latest rules make clear that some jobs cannot qualify for a work permit, while other categories may have special salary or permit conditions.
The changes are particularly significant for workers whose proposed salaries previously met the old threshold but fall below the new requirement. A job that might have been sufficient under the previous system may no longer support a successful application.
The updated salary figure of SEK 34,470 a month therefore represents a major benchmark for many applicants under the current rules.
Employers now face greater responsibility
The new system also places greater pressure on Swedish employers.
Companies recruiting workers from outside the EU/EEA must ensure that the proposed employment meets the relevant salary and insurance conditions. They must also be prepared for closer scrutiny of the employer itself.
The Migration Agency’s new ability to reject applications because of employer-related deficiencies represents a significant change in the assessment process.
For international recruitment agencies and Swedish companies, the message is that immigration compliance cannot be treated as a final administrative step after recruitment.
The employment contract, salary level, insurance coverage and employer’s circumstances all form part of the wider permit process.
This could encourage employers to conduct more detailed checks before advertising positions internationally or issuing offers to foreign workers.
It may also affect the recruitment of workers into occupations where wages are relatively low, particularly if employers cannot raise salaries to meet the applicable threshold.
What applicants should check before applying
Anyone planning to apply for a Swedish work permit should first confirm the exact permit category that matches the proposed employment.
The applicant should then check the current salary threshold and make sure the offered pay also meets the relevant collective-agreement or industry-practice standard.
The employment should be genuine and the employer should be able to satisfy the applicable requirements.
Applicants should also review insurance obligations, particularly when the intended stay is for a maximum of one year.
The occupation should be checked against the latest restrictions, especially for roles affected by the new rules.
Finally, applicants should pay attention to the timing of their application and decision. The new salary requirement can apply to certain first-time applications based on when the Migration Agency makes its decision, rather than simply when the application was submitted.
Because the rules have changed recently, applicants should rely on current official information rather than older articles or social-media posts that may describe the previous system.
Sweden’s work migration system enters a stricter phase
The latest developments point to a more tightly regulated Swedish labour-migration system.
The new salary threshold, additional health-insurance requirement, occupation restrictions and greater scrutiny of employers have collectively raised the bar for many foreign workers.
At the same time, Sweden continues to maintain different routes for specialised workers, seasonal employment, ICT transfers and EU Blue Card holders. This means the impact of the reforms will vary significantly depending on the applicant’s profession and immigration category.
For prospective migrants, the most important lesson is that there is no single answer to whether a person can obtain a Swedish work permit. Eligibility now depends on a combination of salary, occupation, employer, insurance, permit category and application timing.
With the median salary currently used by the Migration Agency set at SEK 38,300 and the standard 90 percent threshold at SEK 34,470 a month, salary planning has become a central part of the process.
For anyone considering Sweden as a destination for employment, checking the current rules before accepting a job offer could make the difference between a viable application and a rejected one.
FAQ
What is the current salary requirement for a Swedish work permit?
The Swedish Migration Agency currently lists a minimum salary of SEK 34,470 per month, based on 90 percent of a median salary of SEK 38,300.
Do non-EU workers need a permit to work in Sweden?
In most cases, citizens of countries outside the EU/EEA need a work permit to work in Sweden.
Are all jobs eligible for a Swedish work permit?
No. Some occupations are excluded, including forest berry picking under the specified SSYK subgroup and personal assistant work under the specified occupational classification.
Can an employer affect a work-permit decision?
Yes. Under the new rules, the Swedish Migration Agency can reject applications because of certain deficiencies linked to the employer.
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